Dementia Matters

How much does it cost to live with dementia in the United States? The hidden costs are often overlooked, but these numbers and trends are important to understand in order to inform the public and effectively allocate resources. Dr. Julie Zissimopoulos leads The United States Cost of Dementia Project, where they recently published a report on the total cost of dementia in 2025. Dr. Zissimopoulos joins the podcast to discuss the report’s findings and analyze what this means for patients and families, as well as for public policy, in the future. Guest: Julie Zissimopoulos, PhD, professor, Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California (USC), co-lead, United States Cost of Dementia Project, co-director, Aging and Cognition Research Program, USC Schaeffer Center, director, Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (USC AD/ADRDRCMAR), Center for Advancing Sociodemographic and Economic Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (CeAES-ADRD) Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Julie Zissimopoulos at her profile on the USC Schaeffer Center’s website. [https://schaeffer.usc.edu/people/julie-zissimopoulos-ph-d/] Read “The Cost of Dementia in 2025 [https://schaeffer.usc.edu/research/the-cost-of-dementia-in-2025/]” report on the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service website. Learn more about the United States Cost of Dementia Project on their website [https://schaeffer.usc.edu/cost-of-dementia-model/]. Read about new Wisconsin legislation that seeks to help those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers in the article, “How a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature seeks to help Alzheimer's caregivers [https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/26/wisconsin-legislation-seeks-to-help-alzheimers-caregivers/84359652007/]” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Everyone has habits. Some are beneficial for brain health while others are less so, but it turns out that habits as simple as brushing your teeth at the same time each morning can help your brain adapt to changes from cognitive impairment. Dr. Gordon Giles joins the podcast to dive into the fascinating world of neurological rehabilitation and how building small, consistent habits can rewire the brain and support healthy lifestyle choices. He also gives a sneak peek into his upcoming talk for the Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) program titled “Unlocking the Power of Habits, Routines and Strategies.” Guest: Gordon Giles, PhD, OTR/L FAOTA, professor emeritus, Samuel Merritt University Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Giles at his profile on the Samuel Merritt University website [https://www.samuelmerritt.edu/faculty/gordon-muir-giles]. Register and learn more about Dr. Giles’ upcoming Healthy Living with MCI event, happening on June 20, 2025, and future programs on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/mci]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

It’s estimated that 4.3 million older adults across the United States live alone with cognitive impairment. How do these individuals navigate the challenges and concerns that arise due to these memory and thinking changes, and what recommendations are there to support them as they continue living independently? Dr. Elena Portacolone joins Dementia Matters to discuss her research focused on identifying these challenges and developing equitable policies and programs for older adults living alone with cognitive impairment in the United States and worldwide. Guest: Elena Portacolone, PhD, MBA, MPH, principal investigator, Living Alone with Cognitive Impairment Project, professor of sociology, Institute for Health & Aging, Pepper Center Scholar, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Show Notes Read more about Dr. Portacolone and her work at her profile on UCSF’s website. [https://profiles.ucsf.edu/elena.portacolone] Learn more about UCSF’s Living Alone with Cognitive Impairment project, led by Dr. Portacolone, on their website. [https://livingalone.ucsf.edu/] Learn about the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, mentioned by Dr. Portacolone at 22:51, on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website [https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

How important is one’s family history when determining Alzheimer’s risk? Returning guests Drs. Jessica Langbaum and Sterling Johnson discuss the latest research on family history and genetic risk factors and share their perspectives on the topic, specifically focusing on the role of the APOE gene as a risk factor. Guests: Sterling Johnson, PhD, leader, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), associate director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, associate director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, lead principal investigator, ADRC Consortium for Clarity in ADRD Research Through Imaging (CLARiTI), Jean R. Finley Professor of Geriatrics and Dementia, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and Jessica Langbaum, PhD, senior director of research strategy, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, overseer, Observational Research Program, Clinical Trials Program, Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative, director, Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry, director, Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Show Notes Read Dr. Langbaum’s viewpoint, “The Risk of Alzheimer Disease in APOE4 Homozygotes, [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2832247#:~:text=In%20accordance%20with%20population-based,heterozygotes%2C%20and%2030%25%20to%2055]” on the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) website. Read Dr. Johnson’s article, “APOE4 homozygosity represents a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02931-w],” on Nature Medicine’s website. Read Dr. Chin’s opinion piece, “What to do if your family has a history of Alzheimer’s [https://madison.com/opinion/column/article_1bf69ce4-76d2-11ef-ba6a-73f2c8cacc6d.html],” mentioned at 2:04 on the Wisconsin State Journal’s website. Please note there is a paywall to access the article. Read Dr. Tobey Betthauser’s paper, “Multi-method investigation of factors influencing amyloid onset and impairment in three cohorts [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9679170/],” mentioned by Dr. Johnson at 16:50, on the National Library of Medicine’s website. Learn more about the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute on their website [https://www.banneralz.org].  Read about the GeneMatch program from the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry on their website [https://www.endalznow.org/genematch].  Learn more about the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center on their website [https://www.azalz.org].  Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Having a relative or loved one receive a dementia diagnosis can be challenging for families, especially for families with children. How can parents, guardians and other adults explain these complex memory and thinking changes to children in a way they’ll understand? One possible way – children’s books. Dr. Tomás León joins the podcast to discuss his collection of children’s books focused on different kinds of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia. He discusses his inspiration for the four stories, the writing and translation process, and the importance of helping children understand what’s happening to their loved ones, as well as shares advice on how to address these difficult conversations. Guest: Tomás León, MD, psychiatrist, Memory and Neuropsychiatry Clinic, Hospital del Salvador, Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) Show Notes Read more about Dr. León’s children’s books and download copies of the Here’s Grandma! collection for free in English and Spanish on the Global Brain Health Institute’s website [https://www.gbhi.org/news-publications/fostering-empathy-and-understanding-new-books-available-dementia-children-series#download-books]. Learn more about Dr. León through his profile on the Global Brain Health Institute’s website [https://www.gbhi.org/profiles/tomas-leon]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.